Low-budget horror films have been all the rage since ‘Paranormal Activity’ proved that the low-budget formula could produce big bucks.James Wan’s ‘Insidious: Chapter 2’ continued the trend of low-budget horror film success after it topped the box office this weekend, scaring its way to No. 1 and making $41.1 million.

The sequel to 2010’s ‘Insidious’ isn’t the best horror film that has come out this year, that honor could go to ‘The Conjuring’ which is also conveniently directed by James Wan, but it does the job.

Like haunted houses, the point of a scary movie is to take people on a controlled experience that has its high and low points to get the best scares.

‘Insidious: Chapter 2’ does a great job at controlling these high and low points by easing audiences out of tension filled scenes by following them up with comic relief supplied by paranormal nerds. These nerds provide good laughs that’ll make you feel secure, if only for a brief moment, before thrusting audience members into the next scare.

The final act of this film is the most disappointing part of this horror ride. It fails to give you that big scare, that scary something that makes sleeping at night difficult.

When you sit through a horror film you expect to have your hands over your face and to be sitting as far back in your seat as humanly possible. This movie fails in this area and that’s my biggest gripe, to have those moments is what makes a horror film truly terrifying. I found myself more scared by earlier parts of the film. The one thing ‘Insidious: Chapter 2’ does better than most scary movies is provide logical connection between it and its predecessor.

While story falls by the wayside for horror films, because it’s about the scary, it was nice to understand why these events were occurring and have the story be told effectively. ‘Insidious: Chapter 2’ is a good example of low-budget horror and provides scary moments that’ll make you jump if that’s what you’re looking for.